Going Home
by Trav0n84
Summary: Blake and Yang take some time off from their mission to connect with each other on a deeper level and strengthen their bond.


The sight of the floating city of Atlas was breathtaking, but the sight of the Atlesian military had them all worried, especially when their airship's designation was called out over the radio. They let out a collective sigh of relief, however, at the words, "Welcome home," that followed. Almost unthinking, Yang and Blake reached out for each other's hand, but unable to meet, due to being on opposite sides of the cabin, and Weiss in between them. Glancing at each other in mild surprise, they smiled and looked out the main windscreen again. Soldiers and robots, both humanoid and giant mechs, stood near the landing platform, but two particular figures caught their attention. "Winter!" Weiss practically screamed. The figure standing next to the elder Schnee daughter, stiff as a board, was General Ironwood. "This might not be good," Maria observed. Qrow nodded, but kept silent as the former Grimm Reaper brought the airship in for a landing. The door opened and Weiss was the first down the gangplank and threw herself into her sister's arms. Winter wrapped her arms around her baby sister and hugged her tight, whispering into her ear, "I'm so sorry, Weiss. I'm sorry about father, that you had to find out about him this way." Stepping back, the former heiress declared, "It's okay. I never really cared about inheriting the company anyway. I want to be a Huntress, not an executive." Winter smiled and nodded in satisfaction and agreement. Weiss turned to her teammates and introduced each of them in turn. Ruby, ever excitable, bounced up and down as she embraced the elder Schnee. Blake bowed respectfully before taking the proffered hand and shaking it, immediately stepping back and gripping Yang's bionic arm. Yang extended her free hand and Winter put one foot forward to bring her close enough to grasp the blonde's strong hand. The others took their turns as well, Nora nearly bouncing as much as Ruby. Once all the introductions were out of the way, General Ironwood said, "Much as I would like to debrief everyone now, I'm sure you're all tired and would like to get some rest. Winter will show you to your rooms." Qrow asked, "How did you know it was us?" The General gave a small smile. "After Beacon fell, I knew you'd make your way here eventually. This particular airship didn't file a flight plan and wasn't scheduled to return, so I figured it had to be you. Now, we'll talk more in the morning." They trooped after Winter into the compound, down four flights of stairs and into a long corridor carpeted in red. As they walked, Ruby caught sight of Blake's Gambol Shroud and asked, "What happened? It doesn't look right." Blake glanced at her and replied, "It was broken in the battle with Adam."

"If you want, I can fix it for you. Probably even make some improvements to it." The Faunus removed the scabbard from her back, but before she handed it over, she said, "Just fix it. I don't want any improvements made to it. It was perfect the way it was before."

"Ok. No improvements. You have my word."

"Good." And with that, she passed the sword to Ruby, who inquired, "Why me, though?""I'd rather trust you with my weapon than the Atlesian military. No offense to you, Winter."

"None taken. I understand. All of us are very protective of our weapons." She passed half-a-dozen doors before she began ticking off numbers and names. As they came to 3-8, Winter pointed to it and stated, "Yang, this is your room, and Blake, you're across the hall in 3-9." The feline Faunus gave such a pitiful "mewl", sounding just like a cat in distress, that everyone, including Winter, paused to look at her while Yang simply drew her into her embrace. "Why don't the rest of you go on ahead while Blake and I talk." Ruby hugged the pair simultaneously, then when she backed away, Weiss stepped in to do the same.

When the hallway was clear, Yang turned to Blake, putting her hands on the Faunus' shoulders and meeting her eyes levelly. "What is it Blake? What's wrong?"

"With everything we've both been through, especially with Adam, I don't want to be alone tonight. But whatever's happening between us, is it too early to ask you to stay with me tonight?" Yang grinned and tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle her chuckles. "Blake, Id' say it's pretty obvious what's going on between us, and you have more experience with it than I do. But, no, I wouldn't say it's too early, not after everything that's happened to us. I'm here for you, Blake, just like I know you're here for me." Blake's "mew" this time was one more of pleasure and happiness, which caused Yang to giggle and reach out to take Blake's hand, opened her door, closed it behind them and locked it. There was a small table and two chairs to the left, a bed near the far wall, a dresser opposite the bed, and a door on the far side of the dresser, which presumably led to the bathroom. Blake opened drawers on the dresser till she finally found a drawer with extra large sleep shirts. She handed one to Yang and kept one for herself and slowly walked toward the bathroom, looking bashful. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she said, "I'm just gonna go change, ok?" Yang grinned broadly and nodded. When Blake reappeared, Yang's mouth fell open and she stopped breathing for a moment. The shirt hung off one shoulder, the front open low enough to reveal a fair amount of cleavage, and her long slim white legs and bare feet sticking out the bottom. "Oh, gods, you are so beautiful," Yang murmured in awe. Blake blushed bright red and looked down. "You're the gorgeous one," she whispered back. Yang grinned and blushed, then stepped toward the bed and pulled back the covers. "Do you prefer the wall side, or the outside?" Blake gripped her left elbow with her right hand and replied, "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay on the outside."

"Where you can escape," the blonde stated, without judgment. The Faunus nodded. "Ok." She climbed in first and pulled up the covers, inviting Blake to join her. She did after putting out the lights. "Besides, I see better in the dark than you do, so It's easier for me to turn out the lights before coming to bed." Though Yang couldn't see her face, she could hear the smile she sported and smiled in return. The feline Faunus snuggled up against her partner, tucking her head under her chin. After a few minutes, Yang felt a rumbling coming from near her chest that was just audible. It took her a moment to realize it was coming from Blake. She was purring just like a cat.

"Are you purring?" Yang chuckled. The sound abruptly ceased and Blake curled tighter into herself. "I'm sorry." The blonde wrapped her arms tighter around the other girl and replied, "No, it's okay. I actually liked it. It felt good. I just didn't realize you did that."

"I've never been so peaceful and content as I am now, wrapped in your arms."

"Thank you, Blake. I'm flattered that you find me so comforting." She placed a kiss between the cat ears that she thought were just too cute, causing them to flutter and the purr started up again, even louder than before. She couldn't help chuckling again, and this time, Blake joined in after a few seconds. "Sleep, Blake. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a very long day." She felt the other girl nod and they both closed their eyes. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep, Blake continuing to purr even into unconsciousness. The next morning, they dressed in fresh clothes, Yang taking the bathroom this time, then as they stepped out of the room together, they heard an all-too familiar squeal, the blonde putting out a hand in her sister's general direction to cut off any potential words. She still came bounding up to the pair, and the elder sibling stated, "Nothing happened, Ruby. We just slept. It's just that, after everything that's happened recently, and with what's going on between us, neither of us wanted to be alone. We just needed each other's company, that's all, Ruby."

"Ahhh." The younger girl sounded severely disappointed. That disappointment caused both of the older girls to giggle, then when Qrow looked at them, they quickly sobered up. A moment later, Winter appeared and looked around before stating, "Good, you're all here. Follow me." She turned and led them down the hallway again, this time, taking them to a lift that took them all the way to the top of the facility. Winter paused in front of a pair of double doors and knocked loudly. A moment later, the General called out for them to enter and everyone, except Maria, stepped inside. Presumably, she was getting her eyes fixed, or perhaps, if she was lucky, even getting new ones installed. The group ranged themselves in front of the General's desk in a line while Winter walked around to stand next to him.

"I'm glad you could make it," General Ironwood stated. "Am I right in assuming that this young man is the new Ozpin?" Oscar looked up and down the line before taking a step forward and replying, "Yes. Ozpin is somewhere inside my mind, but he has largely been dormant for some time now. Ever since we as a team had a disagreement over the things that he kept hidden."

"What do you know?" With that, the team took turns telling everything that had happened to them as it happened, from the time Beacon fell. When Blake and Yang came to tell about Adam and what happened when he ambushed the Faunus at the communications tower outside Atlas, General Ironwood leaned back in his seat and breathed a giant sigh of relief. "Well, that's one less issue that we'll have to deal with. Not that Salem isn't an even larger issue, but at least we won't have to worry about this one, as well, and we can focus solely on Salem. Please, continue." It only took about another ten minutes for them to wrap up the tale. "Congratulations, Yang and Blake," Winter stated when the pause appeared to be dragging on. "It's so nice that you two have found each other. It's such a good thing, not only for yourself, but also for all of Remnant. A human and a Faunus, Together. Imagine what that's going to do for relations between us." The two in question stared at each other for a moment, completely unconsciously reaching for each other's hand. "Honestly, we hadn't thought about that," Blake replied after a moment. "We've just kind of been focused on each other and ourselves, especially our trauma and our feelings." Winter nodded. "I understand. I just can't help thinking of the political ramifications." She shrugged and James Ironwood chuckled. "That is true. Still, what is your current plan?"

"We hadn't really thought that far ahead yet," Qrow replied. "Understandable," James said, nodding. Ruby walked up to the desk and unclipped the relic of knowledge from her belt, setting it on the desk. "We brought this here for you to hide," she said and Oscar added, "Please keep it separate from your own relic, however. We cannot risk all of them being brought together."

"I never understood that part," James stated. "Why can't we bring them together? Wouldn't that give us an incredibly powerful weapon to use against Salem?" The team traded looks back and forth between each other before each of them nodded and Ruby looked at the floor for a moment before looking back up to General Ironwood and saying, "The relics were created to summon the god of destruction and the god of creation, who originally created and ruled this world. But if we summon them, they will judge all of humanity, and if we fall short, the entire world will be destroyed. Where we stand now, we will never pass their judgment." This declaration rocked both the General and Winter.

After a few minutes of silence, during which James and Winter absorbed the news Ruby had imparted, the General finally said, "Okay. It's hard to believe, but I accept your statements. I suppose I don't have a choice." He tapped out a command on the keyboard on his desk and a couple of minutes later, two soldiers appeared. He ordered them to take the relic and hide it somewhere in the compound, somewhere that even he wouldn't know where it was. "In fact, order two of the robot soldiers to hide it, then erase their memories of ever seeing it."

"Yes, sir!" they saluted simultaneously. Once they were gone, General Ironwood said, "Well, that takes care of that issue for now. We need a plan, some way to proceed from here to deal with Salem. However, it is clear to me that you have been through so much, and at this moment in time, we are not in immediate danger from Salem and her group. Take a couple of days. Nothing has to be decided right this second. And if you lose track of why you're fighting, you will fail. Spend some time together just relaxing. You're going to need all your energy in the fight."

"Sounds good," Qrow agreed. "I think we could use some time off from fighting Grimm and Salem's human minions. Who's hungry?" Everyone raised their hand, but no one faster than Ruby and Nora. The rest of the group laughed, including Winter, while General Ironwood simply smiled. The troop trooped out of the office and took the lift down to the main floor, where a soldier escorted them to the exit. "Specialist Schnee will be joining you later. Right now, she has important tasks to take care of for General Ironwood."

"I understand," Weiss responded. At the gates of the compound, the soldier stopped and gestured into the city. "You are free to go anywhere you please within Atlas. If you need to return here, simply notify the guards and someone will escort you." With that, he saluted as the team passed. Blake moved closer to Yang, reaching up to her head with one hand, her eyes glued to the ground. When Yang looked over at her, she was physically holding down her ears with her hand, trying to make it look like she was simply resting her hand on top of her head. The blonde slipped around to the Faunus' other side, reached up and clasped her hand, pulling it down from her head. When she looked over, her amber eyes were wide in astonishment. "Don't hide."

"But I'm a Faunus in the middle of Atlas," she whispered back. "So. You are also a Huntress in training and a beautiful woman." She reached up and gently pinched one ear, rubbing it between thumb and forefinger. "These are a part of you, they make you unique, not lower-class. And if you ever forget that, I will simply keep reminding you, as many times as it takes for you to remember."

"Let go of my ear. Please." Yang jerked her hand away bashfully and Blake smiled. "Thank you. It's just that cats don't really like to have our ears touched." Here she looked around them and leaned in so close to Yang, that she was literally breathing in her ear and whispered, "If you want to hear me purr again, you can scratch at the base of my ears, though. We love that."

Yang burst out laughing so loud that everyone turned to look at her and Blake, causing the former to laugh even harder and the latter to turn redder than Ruby's cloak. Yang managed to calm herself enough to wave her free prosthetic hand in a dismissive gesture and stutter out, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Just a little joke between me and Blake. Kind of our little secret." With that, she turned her purple eyes to the cat Faunus and winked, silently promising that she would keep that particular secret from the others. Blake, in turn, looked down in bashfully grateful acceptance of that silent promise and squeezed the blonde's hand tighter within her own. When she glanced over again, Yang puffed out her chest and made an effort to stand up straighter, then nodded at Blake, who nodded back, took a deep breath and stood up as straight and tall as possible. Yes, she was a Faunus, but that did not make her something less than all the humans that surrounded her. Especially one particular human that had apparently managed to capture her heart without even trying. No, she was not lesser, she was equal. Her experience and training as a Huntress placed her above them, but still their equal. She looked over at Yang, who was grinning brightly at her. "That's better," she whispered. Blake smiled back and they continued to walk, still holding hands. A few minutes later, they arrived at an open-air café, where they decided to sit down and have breakfast. As much as they enjoyed spending time with their team, Blake and Yang decided to sit at a table of their own, only letting go of each other's hands to pick up and read their menus. After ordering, they simply sat, looking at each other while they waited. For the moment, there was nothing that needed to be said aloud. After a few minutes, she gestured to the empty place beside her and Blake gestured to the same spot, asking if she was certain, to which Yang nodded, so Blake rose and moved her chair to sit beside the blonde. The servers brought everyone's orders shortly after and Blake was practically salivating over her salmon, which caused Yang to chuckle fondly.

Blake set aside her plate, having ordered a second plate of just salmon and polishing off both of them. Yang chuckled and reached across the table to take the other girl's hand in her own. A disgusted sound from the sidewalk caught their attention and they looked over to see a woman looking at them, utter revulsion writ large across her face. "What are you doing with that thing?" she asked disgustedly. "What are you talking about?" Yang asked guardedly. The woman pointed at their joined hands and asked again, "What are you doing holding that creature's hand?"

"This happens to be Blake Belladonna, Huntress in training, survivor of the fall of Beacon, who fought against both Grimm and White Fang. She fought against her own kind to help humans like you, she puts her life on the line every day to save people like you from the menace of Grimm. And she happens to be a beautiful woman, whom I love." By this point, not only was the woman's eyes wide, but so were Blake's. "You love me?" Yang looked at Blake, her eyes widening as well. "I guess, yeah, I do." Blake grinned happily and replied, "I love you, too. I have for a while." Simultaneously, they reached out and clasped their free hands together and leaned forward, prepared to share their first kiss, when the sound of retching caused them to look over. It was the woman who had assailed them. "Don't wanna watch two people who love each other kiss, then look away!" Yang declared savagely. And with that, she closed the distance between her lips and Blake's. The sounds of cheering broke them from their first kiss and they looked over to see the rest of the team cheering them on. They blushed brightly at the public display of affection and the team's response. "We are so happy for you," Weiss declared. But it wasn't just for the couple, it was also for the woman that was still watching in disgust. The woman stared at Weiss, who looked her dead in the eye and said, "My name is Weiss Schnee and yes, I encouraged my friends' relationship, even though one is a Faunus. Because that doesn't matter to me. And it shouldn't matter to anyone else."

"You are all sick. All of you. I should report you for public indecency."

"Go ahead," Weiss replied. "My big sister, Winter, is in charge of security for Atlas. And she's on our side. Do you really want to deal with her?" The woman huffed, but finally left, causing everyone to cheer once again.

The team wandered through town, Blake leaning against Yang, their fingers intertwined and her free hand wrapped around her arm. The new couple was in heaven and the rest of the team seemed equally happy for them. They stayed out, looking all over town, Weiss showing them places, till it was time for lunch, when they returned to the main thoroughfare, where they found a diner and reserved two long tables, which they pushed together so everyone could eat together. Blake sat next to Yang, her ears practically vibrating in a combination of excitement and nerves. She was with her team and, especially, the woman she loved, but they were also still in Atlas, capital city of the Kingdom, where slavery was common and hatred of the Faunus was even more so. Feeling fingers intertwining with her own, she looked down, realizing that Yang must have read her thoughts and was taking her hand in an effort to comfort her. She leaned in close and whispered so low that no one else at the table would be able to hear her, and only Blake's feline hearing allowed her to make out the words. "No one will harm you, not while I'm around. You have my word. And no one else at this table will allow you to be harmed, either. You know that. Relax, kitten, you're safe." The (literal) pet name caused her to blush and her ears to jump back-and-forth, but she met Yang's eyes and nodded, squeezing her hand in acknowledgment. The waitress looked at the pair askance as she came up to take their order, but otherwise kept her mouth shut and the meal went peacefully. On their way back to the compound, however, a group of men stepped out of an alley with weapons in hand, one of them reaching for Blake, who backstepped and everyone shifted into a fighting stance. One of the men, apparently the leader, called out, "Here, kitty-kitty. Come play with me and I'll show you a good time. Before I hand you over to the Mining Company as a slave."

"How many cemeteries do you want to be buried in?" Yang shouted back. "One more word out of you and they'll never find all the pieces."

"Blonde bimbo. What are you gonna do, charm me into submission? Just stay out of this and let me play with the pussy-cat." The words were barely out of his mouth before Yang's bionic fist smashed into the side of his head hard enough to crack in his skull, followed by an uppercut with her other fist that shattered his jaw and sent teeth flying out of his mouth. Yang was preparing to pounce on him and continue beating on him when she felt arms wrap around her from behind and knew immediately who it was. "Stop, please. He's down, you don't need to do anymore. The others are handling the rest of the men, so you can calm down. I'm not hurt, Yang, it was just words, and I've heard far worse in my time. Please, Yang."

The blonde brawler slowly relaxed, leaning back into her partner's embrace. Just then, soldiers from the base appeared and demanded to know what had happened. Knowing that it would simply set her off again if she had to explain, Qrow gave the details of the encounter while the other soldiers picked up the men and placed them in handcuffs. One looked up from the leader of the group and pronounced, "This one's dead." Yang's eyes widened, as did Blake's, her ears going flat against her skull. If she'd had a tail, it would've been bristling. "I didn't mean to," the taller girl stated. "I didn't mean to kill him. He just made me so angry." The soldier in charge looked between her and the body before finally sighing. "It's a fine line. On the one hand, they were carrying weapons and you're not. On the other hand, you're also Huntresses and Hunters. I'll mark this up as self-defense, but if we can track down any family and they decide to press charges, we'll have no choice but to bring you in for questioning."

"I understand. If you do find the family, tell them, once I'm done with my schooling and I become a Huntress, I'm willing to pay restitution. I don't know if it'll make any difference, but I never meant to kill him." The soldier nodded and looked at her sympathetically. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he sighed again and said, "I'll give you a piece of advice now: it never gets easier. No matter how many you kill, no matter the reason, it never gets any easier. All you can do is learn to live with it." Yang nodded stiffly and Blake squeezed her tighter. She knew what would happen once they got back to their rooms. With the team dismissed, it was a somber procession that trooped into the compound and returned to their rooms. Ruby looked plaintively at Yang, then Weiss, who gave her a small, tight smile and nodded before joining her in the younger girl's room. Oscar and Qrow also disappeared into the latter's room, and the remainder of team JNPR walked into a room together. Apparently, after what happened, no one wanted to be alone. Yang took Blake's hand and pulled her gently into her room, locked the door behind them, then collapsed on the bed, into her partner's arms, and began to bawl. Blake held her tight, offering all the comfort she could, but knowing that ultimately, it was up to Yang to work through it. Her heart broke knowing that there was nothing more that she could do than to simply be there for her partner.

The next morning, the party was led to General Ironwood's office once again, and once they were lined up in front of him, he said without preamble, "I heard about the incident yesterday. There will be no charges. You were attacked and you defended yourselves. There's no blame on your side." Noticing that Yang had her eyes downcast and that Blake was looking at her worriedly, her ears down, the General spoke specifically to the blonde. "Yang, I know how hard it can be to take a life. And this isn't your first. But you were protecting the life and well-being of your partner. More than just your partner. Girlfriend?"

"We haven't really talked about it or made anything official. Everything's been happening so fast…" Blake trailed off. James nodded. "I understand. I'm not saying that it's going to make it any easier, but you can take some solace in the fact that you were protecting someone you love. There is a certain righteousness in that." Yang looked at him, her violet eyes dull and bloodshot. "You. Did. Nothing. Wrong." The General said, decisively. "Thank you," she whispered and he nodded in reply. Leaning back in his chair again, he looked over each of them and sighed. "Yesterday wasn't as relaxing as I'd hoped it would be for you. Seems trouble is drawn to you like iron to a magnet. Still, we have to make plans. Tell me again what Jinn told you. Don't spare any details." So Ruby related what they were shown, starting with the beginning of Ozma and Salem's story, and continuing through Ozma's question about how to destroy Salem. General Ironwood rubbed his chin with thumb and forefinger in thought. "We're doomed, with no way to destroy Salem," Ruby stated. James' eyes grew sharp and focused. "Wait. Repeat the question and answer, word for word." Ruby looked to her teammates, specifically Blake and Weiss, as they were more likely to remember the exact phrasing. After a moment, Blake spoke up. "Oz asked, 'How can I destroy Salem?' and Jinn replied, 'You can't.'" James sat forward. "That's it. Right there. You need to rephrase the question. Jinn didn't say that Salem can't be destroyed, only that Oz can't destroy her." There was a collective gasp. "But, we would have to ask Jinn, and without the lamp, we can't ask her, and we don't know where the lamp is," Yang stated. The General scoffed. "There isn't a single centimeter of this base that isn't under surveillance, with the exception of the bedrooms. All I have to do is look through the camera feeds to find it." With that, he began typing away at the keyboard, bringing up screens above his desk, flicking through them at a pace that was almost too rapid to follow, till he finally stopped on one. He sent orders to have the lamp retrieved and brought to his office.

With the lamp sitting on the General's desk, he looked at the people arranged in front of him and said, "Think, very carefully, about the question. You only have one shot, here. Misphrase the question, and we have to wait another hundred years. And I don't know about you, but I don't plan on waiting around that long." The others chuckled nervously, but Ruby stepped forward. "Jinn!" she called out. Time seemed to stop and a moment later, the large green-skinned woman appeared above the lamp. Addressing Ruby with an impish grin on her face, she said, "You better have a question for me this time." Everyone else looked at Ruby questioningly, but she waved it off, saying, "I'll explain later." Addressing Jinn, she took a breath and asked, "How can Salem be defeated?" Jinn's grin widened, taking up her entire face. "You are the key, Ruby, you and your silver eyes. Only the power of creation can defeat the power of destruction. Salem is an immortal being, as are the Grimm. Where Grimm can be destroyed by normal means, however, Salem cannot. Only the silver eyes holds the power." With that, Jinn disappeared back into her lamp and time returned to normal. "So I'm the key?" Ruby breathed. "More specifically, silver eyes are the key," General Ironwood said. "I don't think I can do it alone, though," Ruby declared, dejectedly. "You're not alone," Weiss stated, wrapping an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. James said, "We'll put out notices and have soldiers on the lookout for anyone with silver eyes. I know it's a rare trait, but we'll find everyone that we can. Can you teach them to use their power?" he asked Ruby. She shook her head. "But I know who can. The same person that taught me. I'm still figuring it out." When James looked at them inquisitively, Qrow responded, "Maria, the old lady that came with us. She used to be a silver-eyed Huntress, known as the Grimm Reaper." The General's eyes widened. "Is it really her?" Qrow simply nodded and James typed out more orders, this time for soldiers to find Maria and bring her to his office. When she arrived, the General rose from his chair and walked around his desk, extending his hand to the diminutive woman. "It is an honor to meet you, Maria. Qrow informed me who you are. We owe you a debt of gratitude for your service as a Huntress. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask. In the meantime, I have a favor to ask of you. I have soldiers scouring Atlas, keeping their eyes open for anyone with silver eyes. We just learned that that is the key to defeating Salem. I would like to ask this team, here, to go out and find more around the world. My question to you, Maria, is, will you train them to use their powers?"

"To defeat Salem and save the world, I'll train as many as you can find."

As they were leaving the General's office, Blake was looking down at the floor pensively. It was obvious that she had something on her mind, and as much as Yang wanted to know, it didn't feel appropriate to pry at this moment. As they were walking down the corridor to their rooms, however, the feline Faunus looked up, appearing to have made some sort of decision. "Hey, Ruby?" she called. "Do you think you guys could go ahead without me and Yang? And we'll catch up to you later."

"Why?" their leader asked. "I want to go home. Not permanently, but…" she trailed off and looked Yang right in the eye. "I want you to come with me." Yang blinked, then smiled. "Meeting the parents, huh? Even though we haven't formalized this, yet?" she asked, gesturing between them. Blake nodded. "We can discuss the formalities on the way." Yang reached out and took Blake's hand in her own. "Ok. If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do." Turning to her little sister, Yang asked, "Hey, sis, you guys be okay without us for a while?" Ruby nodded in affirmation and said, "You go do what you need to do, we'll be fine." With that, they returned to their rooms, picked up their belongings, leaving no trace that they had ever inhabited that space, and walked to the elevator. On the main floor, Winter was waiting for them and the entire team approached her. She looked back and forth between Yang and Blake, and the rest of the team, curious about the slight but noticeable distance between the groups, but too polite to inquire. Ruby looked at her older sister, a question in her eyes, and the blonde nodded, smiling, and quickly, they embraced, holding each other tight. "It won't be long, Rubes. A couple of weeks, at most. Just keep us posted where you're at so that we can come find you when we're done." When the embrace ended, Ruby dug into the bag at her side and produced Gambol Shroud, passing it over to Blake, who unsheathed it, looking it over carefully. Beside her own black flower, Ruby had added Yang's burning heart. She looked up at Ruby, who replied, "Technically it wasn't a performance enhancement, so I technically didn't break my promise."

"I love it," Blake stated. Hugs were given all around, some of the more emotional members of the team, notably Jaun and Nora, openly broke into tears, in spite of the admonition that they wouldn't be separated for long. When all the goodbyes were said, Blake and Yang headed off toward the docks to hire a ship to Menagerie. When Winter looked inquisitively at Weiss, she replied, "Blake is taking Yang home to meet her parents. They sort of met when Beacon fell, but with what's happened in the last few days, she wanted to make a formal introduction." Winter nodded in understanding and gestured for the others to follow her to the airship. "We'll be starting in Beacon," she announced. Looking at Ruby pointedly, she said, "Since Beacon seems to have an overabundance of silver eyes, it seems like a good place to start." Weiss gaped at her elder sister. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Contrary to popular opinion, it does happen on occasion, little sister."

Yang looked out over the ocean, in the direction Blake had indicated Menagerie lay. The feline Faunus walked up next to her and took her hand in her own. "The ship leaves in half an hour and it'll be three days to Menagerie." Yang grinned at her and replied, "Sounds good." She squeezed Blake's hand and together, they walked toward the dock where the ship was moored that would take them to the Faunus' home. She paused suddenly, at the foot of the gangplank, and looked at Yang almost in a panicked state. "I didn't think. I hope it's ok, I reserved a room with one bed, for both of us." The blonde laughed so hard that she doubled over and the brunette's ears folded flat against her skull. After a few moments, the other girl finally got herself under control, looked her partner in the eyes and pulled her into a fierce hug. "Of course it's okay," she reassured her. "I'll enjoy sharing a bed with you, now and forever, if that's where we end up." Blake finally returned the hug just as fiercely, grateful to her partner for her support and love. Words whispered into her ear sent a shiver down her spine. "Is it okay if I call you kitten? In private of course." She replied just as softly, "I would love that, sunshine." Yang's grin threatened to split her face in half. They turned and boarded the ship, heading immediately for their cabin. Along with cuddling each other and reveling in their closeness, they also had things to discuss. Yang leaned back against the wall and spread her arms and legs, gesturing for Blake to join her. She climbed onto the bed, placing her back against her partner's ample front and the blonde triggered her semblance, boosting the heat in the room and relaxing her partner. "So this…thing: is it what I think it is? I've never felt this way with anyone else. I've had boyfriends in the past, but I've never felt a bond with any of them like I felt with you, almost from the beginning. Is this really what love feels like?" Blake struggled with her words for a moment, unsure not what to say, but rather, how to phrase it in a way that wouldn't upset her partner. Finally, she said, "I've never felt like this before, either. Not even with Adam. There's something about you that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside." She chuckled, "And not just because you're a walking talking heater." Yang laughed, too. "I know what you mean. I feel the same thing, but I also feel this urge to protect you from everything that could possibly harm you."

"Me, too. Based on what I've experienced before, and what I've read in romance novels, I'd say this is love. Like, real, true love. The kind that lasts. At least, I pray that it does."

"Oh, me, too, kitten. Me, too. I want this to last forever. I don't ever want to let you go, Blake. I want to hold onto you for the rest of my life." The feline turned in her partner's embrace and placed a hand on her cheek. "From this day forward, you are not only my partner on this team, you are also my life partner, my girlfriend. And I am yours."

"Forever?" Yang asked, uncertainly. Blake smiled and replied, "Forever!"

Blake and Yang were on the deck of the ship as it approached Menagerie, holding hands as they grew closer and closer to the dock. "Nervous?" the Faunus asked her partner. "A little. I know I met your parents already, but this is different, because we weren't actually a couple, then, just partners and teammates. Being your girlfriend makes a huge difference, it's a huge shift in the dynamic between us, and between you and your parents, and you, your parents and me." Blake simply chuckled and squeezed the blonde's hand a little tighter. "Yang, relax. My parents are going to love you. Not as much as I do, but they're going to like you." The blond brawler sighed and stated, "I hope so. I really want your parents to like me. Is there anything I should be aware of, any particular quirks that I need to know about? I don't want to do anything that might offend them by accident." Blake smiled and leaned closer, planting a brief kiss on the other girl's lips. "Just treat my parents the same way you treated me before we became a couple. Just…tone down the puns. My dad might appreciate them, but I don't think my mom would."

"Aww, Blakey, what's the matter, don't find me berry punny?" The feline just sighed and rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. While I find it endearing because it's a part of you and I find you endearing, I don't know how my parents will take it." Yang nodded and smiled. "Ok. No puns. You have my word."

"Where's your other hand?" The blonde raised the hand her partner wasn't holding between them and repeated her promise, so that she could see that she didn't have her fingers crossed. Satisfied that Yang wouldn't pull a fast one, Blake nodded and pulled her partner into her arms. "Good." They parted and resumed their study of the island that was becoming larger and larger as they grew nearer. Once the ship docked, the couple picked up their bags and made their way to the gangplank and onto the dock. There, a giant of a man with black hair and a massive barrel chest stood next to a woman that had a remarkable resemblance to Blake. These were her mother and father, Kali and Ghira, respectively. Blake raced forward, wrapping her arms around her parents, who pulled her tightly into their arms. "How did you know I was going to be here today?"

"Your friend, Weiss, called and said you had sailed from Atlas and when. It wasn't hard to figure out from there when you'd arrive. And, funnily enough, this is the only boat arriving today," Kali stated. It was at this moment that Ghira noticed Yang hanging back and said, "You brought your friend."

Blake stepped back from her parents and wrapped an arm around Yang's waist, who was taken aback for a moment, but then returned the gesture. "Actually, Yang is more than just my friend and teammate. She's my girlfriend and life partner." Both her parents' eyes grew extremely wide, before Kali squealed in delight and rushed forward, crushing the girls tight in her arms. Yang grinned at her partner over her mother's head. Ghira was more reluctant and asked, "When and how did this happen?" Blake took a deep breath to begin the tale, but Yang beat her to it. "It started when we were trying to steal an airship to Atlas. Blake was tasked with taking out the radar without damaging communications and I was waiting for her about half a mile away. I didn't know it, but Adam was waiting to ambush her. When we couldn't get in touch with her, I went racing in to rescue her." She continued the story relating everything that happened up to them having their discussion on the boat on the way to Menagerie. "So, you've been together for a while, but you didn't formalize it until a few days ago."

"Yes. But that doesn't make my love for her any less," Blake retaliated. Ghira simply stared at them for the longest time, before finally breaking out into a grin at his daughter's continued stare. "I have no doubt of that." He scooped the couple up into his arms, nearly crushing them both with the strength of his arms. When he finally released them, even Yang staggered a little, trying to regain her balance. "You are strong, Mr. Belladonna," she said, after a moment, causing him to laugh, though a blush did appear on his cheeks. He scratched at the back of his head and replied, "Sorry about that. I'm just so glad that Blake has found someone that makes her so happy. And please, call me Ghira." Yang nodded. Blake's ears twitched and drooped slightly, then she asked, "Where are you staying? I mean, I did kind of burn the house down. Sorry about that, by the way." Ghira waved a hand dismissively, while Yang stared at Blake. "You burned your parents' house down?" Blake sighed. "To be fair, I was fighting Ilia and she was using her camouflage ability, and in the dark, I couldn't see her, so I set the house on fire so she couldn't hide. It's not like I wanted to set my home on fire. I loved that home."

"It's okay, Blake, honey," Kali stated, stepping forward and wrapping her daughter in her arms. "It's alright. We're rebuilding, and we're currently living in the spare guest suite. I'm afraid there are only two bedrooms. Will that be a problem?" Blake looked at her girlfriend, smiled, and replied, "Not at all. We've been sharing a bed since we got to Atlas. Partly due to our new relationship, but also because of what happened with Adam, then the attack in Atlas. We just don't want to be apart from each other. Being close helps with the nightmares." Kali nodded and turned, gesturing for Yang to come up on her other side, while she still kept an arm around her daughter's waist, and when Yang stepped up beside her, she did the same with her, then started walking forward, leading them down the path to their home. Blake pointed with her free hand to the remains of the massive mansion at the end of the lane, where they could see workers milling about, and said, "That was our home."

"Wow. That was huge. It still is."

"Yeah. The guest house isn't nearly as large, but it's still comfortable. It's off to the right, just inside the tree line. Gives it a little separation from the main house, and gives it some privacy from the rest of Kuo Kuana."

"Kuo Kuana?"

"The village. The island is Menagerie, but the only habitable space on the island is Kuo Kuana," Ghira replied.

In the guest house, Kali showed them to the second bedroom so they could put away their bags, then led them to the kitchen/dining area, where she began to make tea for everyone. "It's good to hear that Adam won't be bothering anyone anymore," Ghira stated. "He killed all the White Fang members at the headquarters. There are very few members left, and after what Adam did, they're not too eager to follow him. So, I stepped up again, as interim leader until a new one can be found; one that shares our peaceful beliefs. I believe your relationship will help considerably, as will your friend, Weiss. You said that not only does she support you, but she doesn't have any issues with Faunus?"

"Yeah. When we first started at Beacon, she hated Faunus for what they did to her company, but then when she learned about Blake, and how the White Fang started peacefully, simply wanting equality, and all the things that Blake has been through, she finally came around. And as she and Blake grew closer and became better friends, she really began to understand the Faunus' plight."

"So, will she help us when she takes over?" Blake and Yang exchanged looks before the former stated, "She won't be taking over the company. Her father disowned her. He made Weiss' brother the successor, instead of her." Kali's ears fell and Ghira sighed. "I see. That means that nothing is going to change, because the son is likely just like his father. That is going to make things more complicated."

"Yang and I will do what we can. I need to stop running, and Yang is trying to convince me that I don't need to hide what I am." Ghira nodded and Kali gripped her daughter's hands in her own. "Yeah. We were walking down the street in Atlas, and she was trying to hide her ears and I tried to convince her that she didn't have to hide. I'm not sure she really agreed, but I tried."

"So, how was Atlas?"

"I hate it," Blake spoke up. "Racism and violence against Faunus are so commonplace that no one even bats an eye if a gang wants to rape and abduct a Faunus." Instantly, Yang had her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders. "Your friends will never allow anyone to harm you, and neither will I. We dealt with that. I killed a man because of what he wanted to do to you." Kali looked over at Yang in incredulity.

Yang revealed the whole story, what happened with the gang openly confronting them in the middle of the street, in the middle of the day, and Yang going berserk and killing the leader of the gang because of what he'd said. "No matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone tries to do, no one will hurt you. I will never let them, you should know that." Blake had her arms wrapped tightly around her girlfriend's neck and pulled her in closer. "I'll never let anyone hurt you, either, Yang. I promise." They separated enough to look each other in the eye, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you, Blake."  
"I love you, Yang." Though they wanted to kiss, with Blake's parents right there, they separated instead, Yang sitting down next to Blake, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist. The young Faunus leaned into her shoulder and closed her eyes. Kali picked up a cup of tea and handed it to Yang, nodding to Blake, and the blonde nodded, holding the cup under the Faunus' nose. She took a deep breath and reached out to take the cup from her partner's hand. They sat, largely in silence, sipping their tea, Ghira and Kali only occasionally asking the pair questions. When the tea was gone, Blake looked at her mom and said, "I'd like to spend some time on the patio with Yang, if we can be dismissed."

"Of course," Kali said. "We'll leave you two be. I know what it's like at the beginning of a relationship, so I'm sure you'd like to be alone for a while."

"Mom, it's not like that. I do want to be alone with Yang, but not for that reason. I mean, it's too soon, still."

"Ok," Kali replied, holding up her hands in surrender. "Just keep in mind that your father and I do have even better hearing than you, if that should change while you're here." Both girls were bright red after this statement. They rose and headed out to the patio, Blake opening the sliding door, and closing it behind them. As she walked up to the railing, she took such a deep breath that it lifted her breasts in a way that Yang couldn't help noticing. Blake released her breath as she leaned against the railing. "I hope you don't mind, but I needed some air. It felt like my mom was smothering us." She smiled at her partner, who smiled back and walked up next to her, placing an arm around her waist. "It's ok. I understand. Honestly, it was kind of weird. I barely remember Summer and I don't really remember my birth mom at all, so I don't really know what it's like having a mother that loves you." Blake smiled sadly at her girlfriend and leaned closer.

"What do you think of me?" Blake asked. "I mean, really." Yang was taken aback for a minute before words began to pop into her mind. "All of me loves all of you, all your curves and edges, all your perfect imperfections. Give your all to me and I'll give my all to you. How many times do I have to tell you, even when you're crying, you're beautiful, too. The world has beaten you down, but I'm around through every move. Our cards are on the table and we're both showing hearts, risking it all, though it's hard. I give you all of me, and you give me all of you." Tears shone in Blake's eyes as she stared into her girlfriend's, and smiled. "That was beautiful. Thank you."

"I meant it. Every word."

"I know." They hugged each other tightly. "I love you, Blake."

"I love you, too, Yang." They parted and Blake sighed and laughed. "I know my mom loves me and I know she's just teasing us, but I'm sorry about all that."

"It's okay. I like your mom."

"That's good, cause I'm pretty sure she likes you, too."

"I'm glad. I want your family to like me. I know it's too soon to really be thinking about the future, I mean we could die in a battle against Grimm tomorrow, or we could break up a couple of months from now, but if this does work out and we do make it, I'll be glad to be part of your family." Blake grinned broadly. "And I'll be happy to be part of your family, as well."

"My family is insane. You sure about that?" Blake chuckled and replied, "Yeah, I'm sure. If I can handle you and Ruby, I think I can handle the rest of your family." Yang looked down at the boards under her feet and scuffed the toe of her right shoe against the floor. "What's wrong?" her partner asked concernedly. "It's just me and Ruby's dad. Ruby's mom, Summer, passed away when Ruby was just two, and my mom split right after I was born. I know where she's at, or at least, where she was, if her clan hasn't moved, but she doesn't want to be a part of my life." Blake wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist, clutching her tightly, offering as much comfort as possible. "In some ways, your life was worse than mine. You had to grow up way too fast to help your dad take care of Ruby, where I had loving parents who raised me and I didn't officially join the White Fang and everything that happened after, till I was a teenager."

"Yeah, but you also had to deal with being discriminated against as a Faunus. Probably not here on Menagerie, but out in the wider world during your protests about Faunus enslavement." Yang shook her head. "I can't imagine what that must have been like for you. Part of me wishes I had experienced that so that I could better understand." Blake looked into Yang's eyes, trying to wrap her mind around what had just been said. "Yang, I would never wish that kind of thing on anyone, least of all, you."

"I know, but I've never really experienced that kind of discrimination, so I have a hard time relating, understanding just how you feel."

"You try! That's what matters to me." They sat together on one of the chairs on the patio, Blake in her partner's lap and they continued to talk, about whatever topic came to mind.

As the sun began to set, Blake finally rose from her partner's lap and held out her hand to pull her out of the chair and together, they headed inside for supper. The conversation resumed once Yang and Blake sat down at the table. This time, rather than teasing them, Kali actually started out by apologizing for teasing them, stating that she was simply so happy that Blake had found someone that she seemed to love so much. Both girls blushed, but thanked her. Talk turned to the girls' pasts and each other's families. Yang told about growing up on Patch, while Blake's mom regaled her with tales of Blake's childhood. After her mother thoroughly embarrassed her in front of her girlfriend, Blake finally rose, again holding out her hand to Yang, who looked up at her, love shining in her eyes, taking the Faunus' breath away. The blonde finally reached up and took her girlfriend's hand and allowed the brunette to pull her to her feet. She led the brawler to the bedroom they would be sharing for the night. Once they were in the room, with the door closed, Yang asked, "How long do you want to stay?" Blake sighed. "I'm thinking we'll stay tomorrow, then leave the next morning. How does that sound to you?"

"Sure. You sure you don't want to stay longer?"

"We have a mission to get back to," Blake shook her head. "I'd like to stay, but we can't. Salem isn't resting, you know that."

"I know," Yang sighed. "Okay. So, tomorrow we'll spend time with your parents and in town, then leave the next day. We'll have to let your folks know."

"We will, tomorrow." She put her hands on Yang's hips and leaned her head against her shoulder. The blonde said, "What would you say to going to Patch for a day to meet my dad. I mean, I met your parents, it seems fair." Blake groaned, then chuckled. "Sure. Sounds fun."

"Hey, don't sound so enthused. That kind of enthusiasm would even depress Ruby. If you like me, you'll like my dad, trust me. We're a lot alike." Blake stood back up and looked her partner in the eye. "Great. That's just what I need in my life; two of you."

"You love me and you know it."

"Yes, you. Singular. More than one and I probably would've went insane a long time ago." Yang laughed, which, after a moment, got her partner to start laughing as well. When they finally calmed down, Blake gave Yang a brief kiss before picking out some of her nightclothes and heading for the door. She turned back around with the door open and said, "I'm just going to the bathroom to change."

"That's fine. I'll be here when you get back," she answered, smiling. The Faunus smiled back and nodded once in acknowledgment.

When Blake returned to the bedroom, Yang was sitting back against the headboard leafing through one of the fashion magazines that she had picked up before leaving Atlas. Yang wasn't really interested in the fashion in the magazines. She picked them up mainly to laugh at the outrageousness that passed for fashion sometimes. The blonde had her own fashion sense that had nothing to do with what could be found in those magazines, and no interest to try them, but they were still funny to look at. Without even looking up, she shifted so that her partner could sit between her splayed legs, and that was when she noticed the book that she had been reading sitting on the bed, as well, and she smiled, her heart jumping up into her throat, threatening to choke her. A sudden leap in emotion had her almost tearing up and thinking that she really, truly loved this woman. She took a moment to compose herself before walking forward, intentionally swaying her hips more than normal to try to entice her new girlfriend before crawling slowly and seductively across the bed. Though it was too soon for physical intimacy, teasing the woman in front of her was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Blake stopped, still on her hands and knees and leaned forward, almost pressing her lips to Yang's ear and whispering, "I love you." A shudder passed through the other girl, but she replied, just as quietly and sincerely, "I love you, too." Blake slowly turned and placed her back against Yang's front, leaning back fully against her before reaching for her book, opening it to the place marked with her bookmark, moved it to a spot near the back, and began to read where she had left off.

It wasn't long at all until the feline came to the fore, and the sound of a soft, but loud purr could be heard. Yang kissed the top of her partner's head, lingering there for a moment and taking a deep breath, inhaling her girlfriend's unique scent, feeling peace steal over her that she hadn't felt since before Beacon fell. She sighed and her body relaxed, sinking back like a deflated balloon. "You okay?" Blake asked, feeling the shift in her girlfriend's position. "Yeah. In fact, I'm better than ever. You know, I was angry when you left, but this, right here, is what matters. The past is the past and it's over. It doesn't matter anymore. I love you, Blake." The cat Faunus grinned and replied, "Thank you. And I love you, too, more than anything." She leaned her head back and aside and Yang leaned her head down and their lips met in a sweet, tender kiss. When they parted, Blake rested her head on Yang's shoulder and sighed in contentment. "I'm so happy right now, here with you," Blake whispered. "Me, too." Blake reached out and set her book on the nightstand and Yang put down her magazine next to it and the pair laid down, the cat Faunus rising to put out the light before returning to bed and her girlfriend's arms. She snuggled in close, the content purr starting up immediately, as soon Yang's arms encircled her. The next morning, the blonde woke first and stretched grandly, unintentionally disturbing Blake, who yawned, her teeth showing and her tongue curling back. She blinked at her partner blearily and smiled. "Good morning."

"Morning." The brunette rose, allowing her partner to get out of bed, then the two made their way to the dining room, where Kali was already placing breakfast on the table for everyone. The three greeted each other and Blake looked around the room. "Where's dad," she asked sleepily. "He had a meeting early this morning and had to leave already. He probably won't be back till around lunch time, maybe later, if things go bad." Blake nodded, yawning again. Once they had some tea and managed to wake up more, Yang leaned forward, placing her forearms on the table. "Blake and I wanted to let you know that we were going to be leaving in the morning. Today's going to be our last day here. We would love to stay longer, but we literally have to save the world. Our enemies aren't going to wait for us to be ready to face them." Kali's ears flattened against her skull, but she nodded. "I understand. So, what are you going to do today?"

"Figured I'd show Yang around the village, maybe spend some time on the beach, and spend the evening here at home before gathering up all our belongings and heading out. We're going to Patch for one day so I can meet Yang and Ruby's father, then we'll meet up with our team, wherever they're at."

"Ruby, Yang's little sister?"

"Yeah. When everything's over and things have settled down, all of us will come back and spend a week or two here. Might even bring our dad."

"I would like that." After breakfast, the pair headed out into the village, Blake holding Yang's bionic hand and pointing out the things she thought her partner would be interested in. It was too cool for them to really enjoy the beach, so they simply took a walk along the water's edge, holding hands. They returned to the village and picked up ingredients for supper, then returned to the Chief's guest house.

Entering the kitchen, Blake helped Yang find everything they needed for the blonde to make supper. "What are you making?"

"I thought I'd make some sea bass, with fruit salad containing papaya, mango, pineapple, kiwi, acai, guava and banana; squash, and maybe some banana bread."

"Wow, sounds good." Yang peeled and diced half-a-dozen bananas, while teaching Blake how to mix the batter, then she incorporated the bananas and set the bowl aside. Next, she picked up some butter and greased up a loaf pan, dusting it with flour to coat it, then poured the batter into the pan and slid it into the oven. She got Blake to help her de-fin and scrape the scales off the fish, then split them open and cleaned out the insides. Yang cut lemons while Blake cut limes, then they both cut oranges and, while Yang was shredding mint, rosemary and lemongrass, she had Blake pull out and prepare four pieces of parchment paper. Yang poured oil onto the fish, liberally coating both sides before placing them on the pieces of parchment, stuffing the body cavity with the herbs and citrus, then folding over the parchment and rolling the ends to close them up. When the bread came out, she slid the parchment wrapped fish into the oven, then started cutting open and scraping out the insides of several squash, pureeing the insides and adding spices before adding them to a pan on the stove to warm, while Blake cut the fruit for the salad. Either the noise, or the scent of the fish drew Kali's attention and she entered the kitchen, looking around at her daughter and her partner, cooking. "What's for supper?" she asked. Blake firmly but gently ushered her mother out of the kitchen, saying "You'll have to find out when it's done. This is Yang's way of repaying you for letting us stay." Kali was still curious, but given how delicious everything smelled, decided that the wait would be worth it, so she simply padded out to the dining room and started setting the table. When the fish was finally done, Yang and Blake opened the parchment and Yang started skinning and deboning the fish and setting it on a platter to carry out to the table. She picked up the fish and platter with bowls of fruit salad, while Blake picked up the bowl of squash and the loaf of bread and they carried it all out to the table. Then, Yang returned to the kitchen and picked up the bottle of wine she had picked up, Blake set out the glasses, and Yang popped open the bottle and poured. She served everyone before sitting, herself. "This smells wonderful," Ghira stated in surprise. Yang grinned and replied, "Well, I had to learn to cook. For a long time it was just me and Ruby. Her mom died when she was two, and our dad crawled into a bottle and didn't come out for years, so I had to take care of my sister. It's so nice having such fresh tropical ingredients; gives me a chance to make something that I've always wanted to try, but never had the chance." As they ate, there were exclamations of surprise and delight from the Faunus' around the table, ensuring that Yang's smile never left her face. After supper, the couple retreated to their shared room and simply talked of inane things, occasionally delving into their histories, and simply enjoying each other's presence, before lying down and slipping off to sleep.

The next morning, Yang and Blake were awake before the sun, bags packed, and walking toward the front door, when Kali appeared, sleep rumpled and her eyes barely open enough to see where she was going. When she spotted them, however, she asked, "Leaving already?"

"Yes," Blake replied. "We want to catch the first ship out and get to Patch, and from there, meet up with our teammates. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can reunite with them."

"I understand." The older Faunus opened her arms and welcomed her daughter's embrace, before turning and extending the same to Yang. The blonde was taken aback by this open display of emotion from her girlfriend's mother, but returned the hug gratefully. "Where's dad?" Blake asked. "Still asleep?"

"Yeah. I'll let him know you said goodbye and that you wanted to see him. I think he's kind of depressed that you're leaving today. I know I am."

"We are, too, but we have to go. Salem will destroy the whole world if someone isn't there to stop her, and Yang's sister Ruby, and her silver eyes are the key to stopping her. The others are out there right now rounding up everyone they can find with silver eyes so they can be trained to use them. I wanted us to come back here so that you and Yang could meet, because who knows what's going to happen during the fight. I mean, we don't plan on dying, but you never know." Kali nodded and hugged her daughter and Yang once again. With tears in their eyes, the girls said farewell to the older Faunus and began the long walk down the road to the dock. When they arrived, a ship was just pulling up and Yang asked the captain if he was going to Patch, and if so, did he have any available cabins. He stated that he would be swinging by Patch, but it would probably be a week before they would arrive, maybe a little longer depending on weather. The couple agreed and paid for passage, obtaining a single bunk in second class. The ship sailed an hour later and they were underway for the small island of Patch, which was even smaller than Menagerie. Two days out on their voyage, the water began to roil and pitch, but there wasn't a single storm cloud in sight. Yang and Blake, who were on the deck, looked at each other, the same thought running through both of their minds, 'Grimm'. They bolted for their cabin, where their weapons had been set aside. Yang clasped one half of Ember Celica on her left wrist as Blake sheathed Gambol Shroud at her back, and they rushed back up onto the deck. When they arrived, they discovered that they weren't the only ones armed on the ship. A man stood tall at the railing, long dark hair waving in the wind, not moving in the slightest, no matter how much the ship pitched and rolled. "Glad you could make it," he stated calmly, a sword appearing in his hand, almost as if by magic. He jumped up on the railing and, with a leap, he was gone, just as a gigantic head appeared above the waves. Blake and Yang rushed toward the creature, firing rounds at its head. The man reappeared on top of the Grimm's head and plunged his blade in deep before leaping and disappearing again.

As Yang and Blake continued to run, the Faunus threw out her sash to her partner, who caught it, dug in her heels, coming to a complete stop as Blake continued to run, then threw her weight into a spin, her partner gaining momentum as the circle continued, till Yang finally released her end, throwing her partner at the massive Grimm. She triggered her semblance, leaving behind a shadow and launching herself even further out, finally landing on the Grimm's head, where she once again began firing, right at the spot the mysterious man had driven in his blade. He reappeared a second later, in midair, sword held out and falling straight down. He was planning on using the momentum from his fall to wound the creature, but he didn't anticipate the tentacle that thrashed up out of the water, straight at him. Or, at least, that was how it appeared. Before the tentacle could make contact, he was gone again, appearing on the other side of it, still falling, swinging his sword to the side, slicing the tentacle in half. He brought his sword back around the front just in time to impact the creature's neck, leaving a sizable gash. As it began to thrash around in pain, Blake plunged her blade, and her sharpened scabbard into the thing's skull to maintain her position. The man flashed in and out several more times, each time slicing off a tentacle that was trying to reach the young Huntress-in-training. Once the thrashing died down enough that she could stand on her own, she tied her sword and scabbard together with the sash and began to swing the scabbard in a circle over her head building momentum with each circle. Her partner, of course, knew what she was up to and nodded, racing forward as fast as possible, then firing her Ember Celica and her right arm, throwing herself into the air, just as Blake threw her scabbard. The blonde caught it in midair and Blake yanked, drawing the other girl toward her, reeling her in. When they both stood on the Grimm's head, the Faunus looked up, then back at her partner, who nodded and spread her feet a little wider than shoulder width, her arms down but flung out to the side, and triggered her semblance, drawing on every little thing that had ever pissed her off, then when her eyes opened, they were a brighter red than Blake had ever seen, but the blonde simply nodded and knelt, holding out her interlocked fingers for Blake to step into, and when she did, she launched her high up into the air. Just as she was reaching her apogee, the man reappeared in front of her, in the same position as the blonde and she grinned at him, placing her foot in his hands and he launched her even higher. She was so high up that her blonde partner, punching and blasting at the Grimm's head looked almost the size of an ant. At the apex of her flight, she turned, body aimed back down, and triggered her semblance, gaining a boost of speed, then again, gaining a further boost, now rocketing downward far faster than mere gravity could have carried her. Holding her sword straight out above her head, she sorely wished for Ruby's scythe, or even Qrow's. Those would have been better suited for something of this size than the miniscule, by comparison, thing she was wielding. Still, when the blade sank in, it was sharp enough that she went all the way through, plunging into the ocean. She immediately started to panic. She was surrounded by water, there was no air, there was no up or down, it was all wet and dark and airless, and she was going to die, it was going to kill her. Suddenly, there was a sound and arms wrapped around her bust from behind and she struggled against the grip, but it was implacable, the arm seeming hard as iron as she was carried away. Before long, she was breaking the surface and panting for breath, eyes casting back and forth, rolling around like dice in a cup, trying to find safety. Another hand gripped her arm and she was gone, turned inside out and upside down and crushed into a pinpoint of light, then slammed hard on the deck of the ship. "Damn nasty trying to carry three people, especially when one of them is panicking," a voice said distantly. Another voice, nearer both in terms of distance and emotion, called out her name repeatedly and hands gripped the sides of her head, both warm, but one feeling off from the other. As the voice finally started to permeate the fog in her brain, she looked at the source, seeing blinding sunlight at first, then the fog cleared more and she was able to recognize the beautiful hair and face of her girlfriend. She was the one gripping her head and speaking to her. That was when she felt the planks under her back. She was still wet, but she wasn't going to die anytime soon. And she could breathe, she realized as she took in huge lungfuls of air. She looked into her panicked girlfriend's eyes and smiled, in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. Her breathing began to calm, the longer she looked into those gorgeous lilac eyes. After a time, another face appeared over her head. It was the mystery man that had helped them. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Better," she replied. "Did you get us back to the ship?"

"Yeah. My semblance is teleportation. I normally only carry myself, but I can carry passengers if the need arises, and there was definitely a need." He flopped down beside them and continued, "I can't stand to see helpless kittens drown." Blake's ears flattened against her head. "Don't call me that! Only Yang gets to call me kitten." He held up his hands in defense. "No offense meant. I wasn't trying to intrude or anything, I was simply making an observation, considering that you're a cat Faunus, and a relatively young one, unless I miss my guess." Yang finally moved to sit beside Blake, allowing her to sit up. "I'm not that young. I'm nineteen."

"Still a kitten, trying to be a tiger. Still, you did put up quite the fight against that leviathan. You did good."

"Thank you," Yang stated. "I don't think we could've done it without your help." He simply waved dismissively, but Blake asked, "What's your name?" He looked at her for a long moment before saying "Terrabolt." They both looked at him in confusion. "Terra, because I'm as immovable as the earth, and Bolt, because when I do move, it's as fast as lightning." The girls both inclined their heads in understanding. He wasn't actually giving them his real name, but rather a moniker, like Maria's 'Grimm Reaper'. Finally, the Faunus girl extended her hand and said, "My name is Blake, this is my partner, Yang." He shook both girl's hands, saying, "It's nice to meet you."

"Would you like to join us? We could use your skills," Yang asked. "We're trying to take out this woman who wants to destroy the whole world. She has human followers, but she can also command the Grimm. Someone with your skill set would be a terror on the battlefield."

Blake nodded in agreement. "I'll consider it. Tell you what, let me give you my scroll number and you can call me later. If I don't answer, just leave a message with your name and I'll either call you back, or not. If I call, it's to join you. If I don't, it's because I decided not to. Good enough?" The Huntresses-in-training nodded as he pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down his number and passed it to Yang. With that, he rose, nodded to the girls and headed off, presumably to his cabin to dry off and change, which was what they decided to do as well. In their shared cabin, Yang stepped into the bathroom for a couple of large towels, big enough to wrap all the way around their bodies twice and hang from their chest to their knees. As she turned to walk back into the bathroom, a sound from her partner had her turning back to her. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Would it be too awkward if we stayed in the same room?" She looked down at the floor, her toes digging into the carpeting, uncertainty in every line of her body. "If it's what you need, but why?"

"I'm scared. I know you'd just be in the other room, but I'm scared that if I don't see you, that I'll start panicking again, that I'll be back in the water, again." Yang simply wrapped Blake in her arms and held her close. "Okay." She stepped back and turned to face away from her partner, waiting for her to undress and wrap the towel around her body before turning back around. Blake looked her in the eye for a long moment, before slowly, almost unwillingly, turning her back to the blonde, as well. When she was clad in nothing but the towel, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her brunette partner and triggered her semblance, raising her body temperature, and by extension, her girlfriend's. The Faunus leaned back against her and leaned her head back against her shoulder. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," the blonde said, chuckling. She quickly grew somber, however, and asked the question that had been on her mind since the moment she saw the other girl plunge into the water and not come back up. "Why did you panic when you hit the water. You knew it was coming up. All you had to do was swim straight up." Even as close as they were, Yang barely heard her answer, "I can't swim." She looked at her partner in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"Have you ever seen me in water deeper than my chest? Deeper than I can step across?" The blonde paused for a moment, thinking, recalling every encounter she'd ever had with Blake, where water was involved, and realized the feline was right. "But, every Huntress needs to know how to swim." Blake closed her eyes and nodded. "But I can't learn. I've tried. As soon as it touches my face, I have a full on panic attack. I can't seem to control it. I think it might be my feline heritage. I'm sorry, Yang. I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's okay, kitten. I'll just have to stay right by your side whenever we're close enough to water that you can't walk across. I'll help you. That's part of the promise we made each other." Blake spun suddenly in Yang's arms and wrapped her own around the blonde.

The rest of the trip was quiet, and they reached Vale in just over a week. From there, they were able to hire an airship to take them to the island of Patch. When the airship landed, the loading door dropped and Blake and Yang stepped out. She led the cat Faunus through the town and down the path leading to her childhood home. The door opened as they approached and a blonde man, sharing Yang's height, but not quite as wide-shouldered, stepped out. He stopped in surprise, staring at them. "I wasn't expecting you to come home," he said to Yang. "Yeah, it was kind of a last minute decision while we were on Menagerie. And with the CCT down in Vale, we couldn't exactly call you and let you know that we were coming."

"Yeah. So, who is this with you?" Yang slipped her arm around Blake's waist and pulled her in close, the Faunus returning the gesture. "This is my girlfriend, Blake." Taiyang's eyes grew wide. "She's the one you called out to during your nightmares." The blonde brawler nodded. "Yeah. She's the one who left me behind. I found out that she went home to Menagerie, made up with her parents, and tried to stay away from all of us because of her ex, Adam. He threatened to kill everyone Blake cared about, and she thought that staying away would be the best thing. But in all honesty, though, that wouldn't have stopped him, if he had really been intent on keeping his promise to Blake, it wouldn't matter to him whether she was there or not." Blake looked at her partner, eyes wide and ears stiff. "I never thought about that. I figured that if he was going to keep his promise, that he would want me there to see it, to make me suffer by watching everyone around me die. But you're right. It would've been even worse if I wasn't around and only heard about people I care about dying when I couldn't be there for them." Yang wrapped the feline Faunus in her arms, the brunette resting her head on the blonde's shoulder. When they finally parted a moment later, the blonde didn't completely let go, keeping her bionic arm around her partner's waist and guided her up to the steps to the front door. "So, how long are you staying?" Taiyang asked. "The rest of the day today and tomorrow, then leave the following day. I assume you know about Salem?"

"Yeah," he replied, looking down at the ground. "So that's who you're going after."

"Yeah."

"But Salem can't be killed. There's no way to stop her."

"There is, though. Ruby's silver eyes can destroy her. But we're pretty certain that she wouldn't be able to do it herself, so the Atlesians and our teams are out finding and rounding up everyone they can find with silver eyes. They'll all be taken to Atlas and trained by Maria Calavera, the Grimm Reaper, to use their silver eyes. They'll all be trained to use their powers on Salem, and hopefully, all of them together can stop Salem." Her father nodded and opened the door, gesturing for the girls to precede him into the house. "Well, that's one less worry. You girls feel free to make yourselves at home. I'll be back in a couple of hours. I was just stepping out to pick up some items that I'll need for supper. With you two, I'll need to pick up even more."

"You sure you don't want us to come with you? We can help lift. With this arm, I'm basically a pack mule, anyway," Yang joked, causing her girlfriend to laugh and her father to smirk and shake his head. "Glad to know that you're feeling better. But I've got it under control. I'll see you girls in a couple of hours."

Later that evening, the delightful smells coming from the kitchen drew Blake that direction and she stepped through the doorway. "Can I help?" she asked quietly, and was met with a stereophonic "No!" in response, that flattened her ears on top of her head and almost made her step back. "You're our guest here," Taiyang stated, "And I won't stand for guests to do any work." Yang was more gentle with the feline Faunus and approached her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We've got it under control, kitten. Just go sit down, it'll be ready soon." She placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and when the brunette looked down, placed another between her feline ears. She looked at her blonde partner and smiled. "Okay." She returned the kiss, this time a chaste one on the lips, then retreated back to the couch, where she had previously been sitting and cracked open her book, again, attempting to read. She couldn't help overhearing the conversation taking place between father and daughter, though. "So, a Faunus. Never would've expected that."

"What is that supposed to mean? You're not being prejudiced because of her heritage, are you?" Blake's ears quivered, wanting to lie flat, but she resisted the urge. Better she know now, than before getting attached to her girlfriend's father. "Do you really think so little of me?" Blake breathed a silent sigh of relief. "No. It's just…your question kind of caught me off guard and I didn't know how to take it. When she first revealed herself, there was another member of our team, Weiss Schnee, who was angry, spiteful, full of hate. It eventually worked out, and maybe it was for the best that Blake spent the first months hiding her ears, because without that, Weiss might never have gotten to know Blake for who she truly is, might never have given her the chance to know her. I know we've only been together together for a couple of weeks, but dad, I love her. I can't imagine my life without her." Tears of joy prickled the Faunus' eyes and she wanted to rush into the kitchen and crush her partner in a bear hug and kiss her breathless, but opted to sit and listen for more. "I take it this feeling has been building for a while?"

"Yeah. I'd say probably since we first met in the Emerald Forest. There was something about her that was so alluring, and I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but she drew me so much and so easily, that I even dragged Ruby over to introduce her, even though Blake had her head buried in a book and didn't seem interested in talking to anyone, least of all me. But, it was when we discovered that she was a Faunus and she ran away from us, that was when I knew that she was more to me than just my friend and partner. I still didn't fully understand what I was feeling, but I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest when she ran away and we couldn't find her." Tears were flowing freely down the brunette's face and she had given up all pretense of reading, fists pressed into her eyes as she quietly sobbed. "Yang, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Then, louder, "Blake?" A moment passed, then Yang called a little louder still, but the Faunus didn't have the breath to respond, she simply rocked back and forth trying to get her emotions back under control. Mere heartbeats later, hands, one metallic and one smooth skin, were prying her hands from her eyes and arms were wrapping themselves around her, pulling her in close. The blonde didn't speak, simply triggered her semblance to warm her partner and continued to hold her till the tears ran their course.

When Blake had calmed to occasional hiccups and slightly labored breathing, Yang finally asked, "What's wrong, kitten?" The other girl simply shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. Everything is so right and so beautiful." She pulled back from the embrace so that she could look into her girlfriend's eyes, so that she could see the sincerity in her golden orbs. "I love you, too. I heard every word you and your father said to each other." She pointed to the ears on top of her head. "I couldn't help it. I never knew that you loved me for that long. I was drawn to you in the emerald forest, too. I just didn't want to show it, because of everything that had happened in my past. I didn't want to love again, but then you broke down every wall I had without even trying, and now, I can't imagine my life without you, either." Yang pulled her partner into her arms, crushing her in a tight hug, Blake returning the embrace. "I love you," the blonde whispered and the brunette replied, "I love you, too." They held their embrace for several minutes before Yang finally released her girlfriend from her embrace and held her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Are you going to be okay?" The Faunus smiled and nodded. She sniffled a little and said, "Dinner smells really good. How long before it's ready?" Yang chuckled and looked over the other girl's shoulder at her father who shrugged. "It's almost ready. If you'll set the table, sweetie?" Yang nodded and looked her girlfriend in the eyes, waiting till she nodded before rising to set the table for dinner. After they ate, Yang and Blake retired for the night, the emotions they had gone through had wrung them dry and left them exhausted. The next morning, Yang woke before her partner and slipped out of bed, making her way to the kitchen, starting a pot for tea, and one for coffee, and started setting out some old bread, sliced it up and dug out eggs from the fridge, then a couple of pouches of tuna from the cupboard. Eggs were whipped together with light cream and salt and pepper and the bread was placed in the mix to soak. As she was working to prepare breakfast, her father appeared. "You're up early."

"Yeah. I wanted to make something special for Blake, show her how much I appreciate having her here with me, having her as a part of my life." He looked over the ingredients she had set out. "Ahh. Summer made these for special occasions."

"Yeah," Yang replied, smiling. "I think Blake is a special enough reason."

"I'm glad she makes you so happy," Taiyang responded, wrapping his arms around his elder daughter and she returned the embrace. "So am I." They split apart so that Taiyang could mix the tuna with mayonnaise and relish, while Yang placed the soaked bread onto the griddle on the stove. When he finished with his task, he started preparing the syrup that they would need. They always kept a small stock of it for pancakes or waffles, but there wouldn't be enough for all three of them. Once the bread was done on one side, Yang flipped them over and started slathering the tuna mix on them and sandwiching them together. The smell of cooking tuna brought the black-haired Faunus downstairs to the kitchen, her hair still sleep-tousled, her tongue curling in a jaw-cracking yawn. "Morning, kitten," Yang called out. Bleary amber eyes took in her form in front of the stove and her nose worked as she sniffed. "I smell tuna. For breakfast?"

"Yeah. Something Summer made for special occasions. I thought you'd really enjoy it. At least, I hope you'll like it."

"It smells absolutely delightful. I can't wait," she grinned. Taiyang brought her a cup of hot, fresh tea since Yang couldn't leave the stove, and Blake blew a kiss to her girlfriend, then turned and padded out to the table. She was delighted at the breakfast that Yang had served and ordered two helpings, though she felt like she could barely move after the second.

Blake and Yang retreated to the front deck and the former sat in the latter's lap, her book in her hands, trying to take advantage of the quiet to read. Yang, meanwhile, was simply basking in the warmth generated between them. A particular point of heat, however, had her shifting uncomfortably every so often. Finally, she asked, "Blake, are you alright?" She lowered her book and twisted her body around to look her girlfriend in the eye. "I'm fine, why?" The blonde blushed and replied, "Well, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but you're hot. I mean, like your thighs are just burning up. And if it's hot enough for me to notice, then it's hot. And I didn't know if it was something Faunus related, or something unique to you, or what, so I didn't want to say anything right away." As she rambled, a look of horror etched itself more and more firmly onto the brunette's face, till she finally asked, quietly, "What's today's date?"

"Do what?"

"What's today's date?" she practically screamed. "I'm not sure." Yang dug into one of the pockets of her pants and pulled out her scroll, tapping it to open it to reveal the date and time. "The 24th," she finally replied. "Shoot. I completely lost track of time." Blake looked down at the boards under them for several long moments before finally replying shyly, "I think it would be best if, for the next week, we don't sleep together. I still want to, but I think it would be best if we got some separation. And it's only for a week."

"Blake, kitten, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

"You could say that. It's my time."

"Oh," Yang chuckled and waved dismissively. "You don't have to scare me like that. Our whole team has to deal with that."

"No, not like that! Oh, this is so embarrassing." She turned fully in the chair so that she was straddling Yang's legs and took both of her hands into her own, drawing a deep breath, and continuing, "When I say it's my time, I don't mean it in the same way as you, Ruby and Weiss have to deal with. I don't have to deal with the same things."

"That would explain a few things. I thought you were just being more discreet." The feline shook her head and took another deep breath before continuing. "I am part feline. And just like human women have a cycle, cat Faunus' have a similar, but different, cycle." It took a couple of seconds for recognition of what her girlfriend was alluding to to spark in her mind, but when it did, her eyes widened and she looked all around to make certain they were alone, though Blake's ears would've notified them if they weren't. She sat up further and leaned closer, speaking in hushed tones, "You mean you're in heat?" Blake simply nodded, red, brighter than Ruby's cloak, suffusing her cheeks. "Okay. And you're worried that you might initiate things that we're not actually ready for, yet, while you're in this state and that's why you want to sleep separately." Blake nodded again. "Is it always the same day of the month?" Another nod. "Does it slowly buildup, or is it just bam, there it is?" The brunette chuckled lightly. "It does kind of buildup, starting a day or two before, but then, that morning, it just hits all of a sudden. I should've realized when I broke down so easily yesterday. I mean, the things you were telling your father were so sweet, and would touch me deeply, no matter what, but Yang, you know me. The bawling and sobbing were completely out of character for me. I want to break down again, just thinking about it." Yang reached up and wiped away the tears that escaped her partner's eyes. "I guess I was just so concerned that I didn't really think about it, but you're right. Any other time, maybe a tear or two would've escaped, but under normal circumstances you never would've simply broken the way you did."

Blake let go of Yang's hands and rose to her feet, walking toward the railing of the deck. She paused, looking out over the forest, her hands resting lightly on the balustrade and took a deep breath. "I normally keep a really close watch over my cycle so that it doesn't catch me by surprise, but, I think, with everything that's happened between us recently, and everything else, I just completely lost track of time. I was so wrapped up in us, that nothing else mattered." The sound of fingers tapping caught the Faunus' attention and she turned back to the blonde, to find her on her scroll. She frowned, but a moment later, she looked up at the brunette and set her scroll down, saying, "There, now you won't be the only one keeping track. I just programmed it into my scroll, so I'll be watching it, too." Tears sprang to Blake's eyes as she smiled. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, Blake. I love you."

"I love you, too." She rushed forward and collapsed on top of her partner, hugging her with all the strength in her body. "You're crying, again," Yang chuckled. "I think I like this emotional side of you." This statement caused Blake to chuckle, in return. "So, tell me everything. I want to know all about this. Is it just a cat Faunus thing, or do other types have to deal with it, too?"

"I know canines do, but I'm not sure about others."

"What else? I want to know everything."

"Well, during the next week, my libido will be dramatically increased, and the whole time my body temperature in that area will be a lot higher. And I'll have a hard time controlling myself, especially around you, now that we're actually together."

"How did you deal with it before, when we were at Beacon?"

"I just kind of kept myself a little more distant, spoke less, and did a lot more combat training."

"I remember that," Yang nodded. "I remember being surprised when you would approach me and want some extra training. Once we learned about your Faunus heritage, I just kind of figured it had to do with your past. Never would have suspected something like this." Blake turned and sat sideways on Yang's lap, curling up and nuzzling her head under her partner's chin. "It's been a really emotional couple of days and I'm worn out."

"Me, too." They both closed their eyes and dozed for a while.

That evening, Blake and Yang packed up their belongings and were headed to the dining room, when voices surprised them. They shared a glance and walked downstairs, where Ruby and Weiss stood in front of the door, small overnight bags in their hands. "Yang," the younger girl called out, rushing forward in a shower of rose petals to hug her sister, who eagerly returned the embrace. "What are you two doing here?" Blake asked. "Since we were on the mainland, so close to Patch, Ruby wanted to come home and see her father, even just for one night," Weiss replied. Yang looked at Blake and they both reached out to hold each other's hand, simultaneously, causing Ruby to jump up and down, squealing, and Weiss simply rolled her eyes at their team leader's antics. "Speaking of dad, where is he?" Yang asked, looking around. "Not sure. We just got in the door and didn't see him," Ruby replied. Blake looked out the front window and stated, "The Jeep's gone."

"Dad must've gone into town, then," Ruby responded. Yang and Blake walked into the kitchen and started opening cabinets. "Plenty of groceries," the blonde announced. "Yeah, so I wonder what he went for," Blake asked. Ruby shook her head. "No idea. That's weird. Hey, sis, since dad's not here right now, have you taken Blake to meet mom?" The blonde shook her head. "No, I hadn't really thought about it, but I could. You wanna go see her while were here, too?" The youngest of them nodded. With that, she led the others outside and up the hill beyond the cabin. At the top of the hill was a simple stone marker that read 'Summer Rose. Thus Kindly I Scatter.' Yang and Ruby both walked right up to the marker, kneeling at its base, Blake and Weiss hanging back slightly, though Yang looked back at the Faunus and gestured her forward. She looked wide-eyed at her partner, who nodded. She nodded back and stepped up, kneeling next to her partner. "Hi, mom," Ruby started. "We can't stay long, we're just here tonight, then we're leaving in the morning, but we thought we'd stop by and see you. In fact, I wanted to introduce you to someone, but I think I'll let Yang go first." The girl in question reached out and took her girlfriend's hand and said, "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Blake. As you can tell, she's a Faunus, which causes some unique problems, but I am absolutely head-over-heels for her. And I like to imagine that she feels the same for me." Here, she looked at the brunette, who looked back at her, tears slowly leaking from her eyes. "Of course, I do." She turned to look at the grave and continued, "Mrs. Rose, I promise to take care of Yang, and she has promised to take care of me. I left once, trying to protect everyone I love, but I realized that was stupid. I'm never going to leave again. I want to be with Yang, forever." The blonde reached up with her free hand and wiped away Blake's tears, then turned to Ruby, who gestured for Weiss to step forward. The white-haired girl approached and knelt next to her team leader. "Mom, this is Weiss," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We partnered up in the emerald forest in Beacon and became teammates with Yang and Blake. Makes me giggle thinking about a Schnee getting along so well with a Faunus, but I'm really glad that they're friends. And I'm really glad Weiss has become such a good friend to me." She went on to tell about the incident leading up to Weiss declaring that she would be the best partner ever.

After spending nearly half-an-hour at Summer's grave marker, team RWBY rose and turned back toward the cabin, spotting Taiyang standing among the trees, Zwei at his feet. Claws digging into Yang's shoulders alerted her to where her teammate and girlfriend had disappeared to. She had not outgrown her fear of the dog, though he was the friendliest thing on Remnant. She patted the other girl's hand and watched as her little sister rushed forward in a shower of rose petals to hug and speak with their father. Weiss approached more cautiously. She extended her hand to her partner's father, who stepped forward and embraced her, catching her by surprise, though she did slowly return the embrace. Finally, Yang moved forward, Blake reluctantly moving in sync with her. Taiyang looked over his daughter's shoulder, at her partner. Seemingly catching sight of her ears, he turned to Ruby and asked if she and Weiss would take Zwei back to the house. They both agreed and the younger girl picked up the dog, she and her partner heading back to the house. "Where was Zwei all day yesterday?" Yang asked. "Out back. Finally got around to putting up a fence for Zwei, giving him some place to run without being able to get out into the woods. I only brought him in after you girls were in bed." Yang nodded and the three turned toward the cabin. After dinner that night, as they were discussing room arrangements, Ruby said, "Weiss and I can share my old room, since I'm sure you'll want to share your room with Blake." The pair exchanged glances before Yang spoke up. "Actually, Ruby, I think I'd like to share my room with you tonight. Blake and I have slept together since that first night. I think we'll be okay apart for one night, and I haven't seen my baby sister in two weeks." Ruby and Weiss exchanged shocked glances with each other and the pair, but Blake simply stated, "What? It's okay. I don't mind." She looked at her partner, appreciation in her eyes. She knew that she would have to come clean eventually, about the real reason they were sleeping apart, but for now, Yang's excuse of spending time with her baby sister was enough. She glanced at the others quickly before returning her gaze to her partner, who nodded, then nodded toward her sister and made a miniscule gesture towards her room, and Blake nodded, then looked down at the floor. When her eyes came up, guided by a finger under her chin, she was met with a brilliant, warm, gentle smile that warmed her heart. It would be okay. She leaned forward and her lips met her partner's in a gentle affirmation. Ruby's awkward outcry pulled them apart, chuckling. They continued to talk, catching up on the last two weeks before Ruby and Yang rose, heading off to the latter's room, Weiss and Blake following, heading to Ruby's old room. Outside Yang's room, the quartet paused and the blonde asked her sister to head into the bedroom ahead of her so that she could say goodnight to Blake privately. Weiss gave them both a hug before turning to open the door to the bedroom, Ruby repeating the gesture. When they were alone and Blake's ears quit swiveling, indicating that no one was close enough to listen, she said, "I'll tell Weiss tonight. It's something so incredibly private, but given our relationship, and the fact that we're not ready for physical intimacy, or even once we are, they'll need to understand." Yang nodded. "Yeah, that's why I'm going to tell Ruby tonight. It's weird…it's your secret, and by all rights, you should be the one to tell it, but it's my secret now, too. But it's not." She rubbed the back of her head with her hand. Blake chuckled. "I understand." She stepped closer and took both of her hands in her own, smiling at her. "But it is your secret. Because it is mine, and I am yours." Yang laughed, lightly and leaned forward, their lips meeting. "Goodnight," she whispered when they parted. "Goodnight, Yang. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Closing the door behind her, Yang leaned against it, looking down at the floorboards. "What's really going on?" Ruby asked. The blonde could almost curse her little sister's perceptiveness. Sometimes, she saw things that no one else did; other times, she completely missed the obvious. "You and Blake didn't have a fight, I can tell that much. If anything, you're even closer than you were before you left us. So why don't you want to sleep with her?" Yang took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then filled her lungs once more before speaking. "It's a secret, Ruby. Mine and Blake's. But you and Weiss are our teammates, and if Blake and I weren't together, it's a secret you would never know, but since we are together, we both feel that you have a right to know." With that, she took another deep breath and explained what was going on. During her explanation, Ruby simply sat, staring at her sister as if she had grown another head. When she was finished, the younger girl continued to stare at her for a moment before breaking out in laughter. "You're joking. You're playing a joke on us, aren't you?"

"It's not a joke, Ruby!" she barked, her aura flaring. Ruby instantly calmed, her eyes growing even wider. "You're really not kidding." Yang shook her head vehemently. "We're sleeping separately because of her condition. It's only for a week."

"Wow. I had no idea."

"I didn't, either, till I felt the heat. Please, don't say anything. Don't discuss it, with me or Blake, or even Weiss. If you do discuss it with Weiss, do it where neither Blake nor I can hear. Especially Blake. It's not something that needs to be spread about." Ruby nodded. "I'll keep quiet. You have my word." Yang walked forward and enfolded her little sister in her arms, whispering, "Thank you."

In the room on the opposite side, just down the hall, Blake was sitting on the bed, looking out the window at the broken moon, trying to decide how to tell Weiss what she needed to say. "You're being even quieter than usual," the former heiress finally stated. "And you have that look on your face that says you're thinking hard about something. You had that same look when you told us about Adam." The Faunus looked over at her friend and teammate, who had an open and inquisitive look on her face. "What's on your mind?" Blake looked down at the bedspread under her and picked at it for a moment before finally looking back to her friend. "You know how private I am. About everything about me. But this is something that is so intensely private, that I'm not sure how to tell you."

"Is it about you and Yang sleeping apart for the first time in two weeks?" The brunette nodded, her ears drooping. "I know she's right there," and she pointed almost directly at Yang in the other room, "but I already miss her." She wrapped her arms around herself and her ears drooped, the tips almost burying themselves in her hair. "I wish she was here." Weiss rose and walked briskly toward Blake, sitting on the bed in front of her and pulling the other girl into her arms. "I may not be Yang, but I am your friend. What's going on?" The Faunus took several calming breaths, slowly loosening her hold on herself enough to relax into her friend's arms. Finally, after a few minutes, she slowly, haltingly, began to explain the situation. When she finished, Weiss didn't speak for a moment. A burst of laughter filtered through the walls, stifled quickly by an angry outburst, causing both girls to chuckle. "Okay. I understand that you want to keep this a secret, and it'll stay a secret. Does Ruby know?" Blake nodded. "Yang just told her. That's what that laughter was. Ruby didn't believe her, at first. I'd like it if no one discussed this. At all. Yang and I will track my cycle, and it won't be an issue. So I'd prefer no one talked about it."

"I understand." She released the other girl and rose to her feet. "Now, let's get some sleep. We should be able to find an airship in the morning." Blake nodded and they settled down to sleep for the night.

The next morning, the four teammates took turns saying goodbye to Taiyang before leaving, tears shimmering in Yang's and Ruby's eyes. The trip down the road was quiet; Blake, understanding Yang's feelings over this departure, took her hand in her own, brushing their shoulders together. Even as they walked through the town to the airship landing, the couple didn't let go of each other's hand. At the airship dock, they had to wait for an airship to arrive, so they sat on a bench while they waited. Yang could sense Blake's nervousness, the finger's intertwined within her own trying not to fidget. She leaned in close and spoke so low that only the Faunus would be able to hear, "What's wrong, Blake?" She shook her head and looked down toward the dock, then sent Yang a plaintive look. She nodded and they rose from their bench and walked to the end of the dock, where Blake gently disengaged her hand from Yang's, who, in turn, looked at her girlfriend inquisitively. "Blake, what's wrong?" She shook her head again, looking out over the ocean and took a deep breath. "I just have so much inside me, so many emotions that I'm not sure how to get out."

"Good emotions, or bad?"

"Good. But my life has been so hard, so much has happened, that I'm afraid of being this happy. I'm so happy, so content, but that scares me." Yang looked down at the ground, trying to wrap her head around what Blake had just told her. Starting quietly, and slowly picking up volume, Yang began to sing, "I found a love for me. Darling, just dive right in and follow my lead. Well, I found a girl beautiful and sweet, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me, 'cause we were just kids when we fell in love. Not knowing what it was, I will not give you up this time. But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own, and in your eyes, you're holding mine. Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song. When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath, but you heard it, darling, 'You look perfect, tonight.' Well, I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know. She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I'll share her home. I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets. To carry love, to carry children of our own. We are still kids, but we're so in love. Fighting against all odds, I know we'll be alright this time. Darling, just hold my hand. Be my girl, I'll be yours. I see my future in your eyes." A new voice intertwined with her own, and Yang looked back not missing a beat and continuing to sing, with Weiss as her impromptu backup. "Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song. When I saw you in that dress, looking so beautiful. I don't deserve this, darling, you look perfect tonight. Baby, I'm dancing in the dark, with you between my arms, barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song. I have faith in what I see. Now I know I have met an angel in person, and she looks perfect. I don't deserve this. You look perfect." Blake was torn between laughing and sobbing, but she took the blonde's hand and allowed the other girl to pull her into her arms. "I never knew you liked Ted Sheerwood," Weiss stated. Yang replied, "I never would have imagined that you would." They both chuckled slightly.

Blake nuzzled into Yang's neck and whispered, "Thank you. That was beautiful. And it was exactly what I needed to hear. I'm still kind of scared, but not like I was." Yang chuckled. "You think you're scared? In spite of what I said, I'm absolutely terrified. I know that you said you'd never leave, but I'm still scared that you'll eventually leave me, like everyone else has. My mother and Summer both left. When I lost my arm, you and Ruby both left. I've always felt so alone, my whole life." Blake hugged her tighter and cried, "I'm so sorry. I'm here for you, now. I'm never leaving you again. You have my word. I love you, Yang. My sunshine."

"I love you, too, kitty cat." They shared a brief kiss before separating and looking back out to the ocean. A sound brought them out of their reverie and caused them to turn around, facing the airship landing pad, where a transport ship was coming in to land. As the door opened, Winter stepped forward and gestured for them to move onto the transport. Weiss was first, hugging her sister, followed by Ruby, then Yang and Blake. "How did you know we'd be here right now, sis?"

"I didn't. I was just coming down to see if you were ready to leave. I wasn't actually expecting you to be waiting at the landing pad." Weiss nodded. "So, where are we headed now?"

"We're going to Vacuo. The silver eyed people that we've found so far have all been put onto transports going to Atlas."

"How many did you find?" Blake asked. "Four in Vale. More than we thought we would find."

"Wow. Find any in Vacuo, yet?"

"I don't know. We haven't had any contact since we left Vacuo. At the time, none had been found." Weiss asked, "Do we have somewhere to stay in Vacuo while we search?"

"We have an apartment complex and we've taken over the top floor. Blake, Yang, we have a room set aside for you." The couple in question looked at each other, then back and forth between Ruby and Weiss. Winter didn't miss the interplay and inquired, "What's going on? Judging by the way you're holding each other's hands and the looks in your eyes, you're still in love, so what's the problem?"

"It's just something that's going to be an issue for a few more days. Can we possibly all four stay together for about the next five days?"

"Sure. The room we reserved for you is big enough for your whole team. But why just the next five days?"

Again, the team looked back and forth at each other before Yang spoke up, "It's just something personal. The team knows, but we'd rather not talk about it beyond that." Winter nodded. "Very well. I will see to it that the four of you will share a room for the next few days."

"Thank you," Blake replied, relieved. With the rest of her team sharing the room with her and Yang, she would be less tempted, since it would be harder for anything to happen. She took a deep breath and leaned into Yang's shoulder. "We'll be arriving in Vacuo in a couple of hours," Winter stated. Weiss simply nodded as she and Ruby sat beside each other opposite where Yang and Blake were seated. While the latter two were content to simply sit and Blake to practically nuzzle Yang's neck, the former two whispered among themselves, low enough that only Blake might be able to hear them. When Ruby laughed at one point, Yang finally asked, "What are you two whispering about?"

"They're recounting fights they've had with Grimm," Blake replied. Yang kissed her between the ears and grinned at her sister and her partner. With that, she began to tell her adventure between leaving home and discovering Weiss, imprisoned by Raven and her people, which led to other tales of fights that the four had been in where the others weren't present. These tales and boisterous laughter carried them all the way to the border of vacuo. As the airship came to a landing, several Grimm were spotted approaching and all five of them jumped to their feet, Winter snapping orders at the pilot to stop just above the landing sight and let them out the cargo door, where they dropped to the landing pad, rolling forward as their feet hit the ground coming back to their feet and readying their weapons. There was only the briefest pause before the five of them rushed forward, Blake and Yang at each other's side, Weiss, Ruby and Winter rushing in together, glyphs forming in front of, behind, and underneath Ruby, and more appeared behind and under Yang and Blake. The series of glyphs slowed down the rush of Grimm and sped up the teammate's movements. A moment later, more glyphs appeared, summoning a frost-white knight and a white Beowulf. Fortunately, the majority of what they were facing were Ursai and Beowulfs, so it didn't take long for them to take them out. When the fight was over, Winter led the way to where the rest of their friends were staying.

Ruby rushed forward and engulfed Nora and Jaune in a hug, then gave a more restrained embrace to Ren. She leaped into Qrow's arms, holding each other tightly. When they broke apart, Yang stepped forward and embraced him, as well. "Welcome back, firecracker," he said, quietly. "Glad to be back with everyone else," she replied. "I missed everyone," she said, stepping out of her uncle's embrace. "I know Blake and I weren't gone for that long, but I still missed all of you."

"I missed everyone, too," Blake added, looking around the room. Yang walked over and took the Faunus' hand in her own and looked into golden eyes brimming with uncertainty and happiness in equal measure. After a moment, Yang took a breath and looked over at the rest of the group. "We have an announcement to make. On the way to Menagerie, Blake and I had a discussion and we made it formal. We are together. I'm Blake's girlfriend and Blake is mine." A cheer went up from the others and everyone rushed forward to embrace them, but the onrush caused Blake to nearly panic, so Yang pushed her back behind her and flared her semblance. "Back off! You're scaring Blake." The sight of her flattened ears and wide eyes searching in all directions, plus the blonde's fierce protection forced everyone to back off and let her regain her equilibrium before coming forward one at a time, slowly, so as not to startle her again. Ruby was the first to approach, holding out her arms as much in invitation as in preparation for a hug. Weiss was next, then the rest, one at a time. After everyone had greeted the pair, they headed out to dinner, then retired to their rooms for the night, Blake staying with Weiss once again, and Yang with her sister. They needed a good night's sleep, because in the morning, they would be out scouring every inch of the country, looking for anyone they could find with silver eyes.


End file.
